Cal's Christopher to see if he's NBA material

Published 4:00 am, Friday, March 20, 2009

Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images

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Jerome Randle #3 of the California Golden Bears wipes his brow in the second half en route to an 84-71 defeat to the Maryland Terrapins during the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 19, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. less

Jerome Randle #3 of the California Golden Bears wipes his brow in the second half en route to an 84-71 defeat to the Maryland Terrapins during the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament ... more

Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images

Cal's Christopher to see if he's NBA material

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Cal guard Patrick Christophersaid Thursday he is leaning toward testing his NBA draft stock without hiring an agent to maintain the ability to return for his senior season.

"It's my junior year, so it's kind of a free year to do it," the 6-foot-5 All-Pac-10 player said.

The NBA allows juniors to declare for the draft, attend camps in front of league decision-makers and preserve college eligibility if they don't hire representation. Ryan Andersondid it last season and opted for the NBA after discovering that he'd get guaranteed money as a first-round pick, and, the year before, DeVon Hardinreturned to Cal after being unconvinced of his draft status.

Christopher has averaged 11.7 points a game in his Cal career and ranks among the school's top-25 all-time scorers. He's averaged 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists a game and has made marked strides as a defender this season.

Christopher has proven to be a gifted leaper as a collegian with a number of high-wire alley-oops this season. NBA scouts, however, question how that translates to their game, in which shooting guards dominate athletically.

"I'm just probably going to see how the process goes," Christopher said. "I guess I'll go to some of the official camps, but, honestly, I don't know. I'm going to talk to my mom pretty soon and discuss it with her."

PAIN IN THE KNEE: Sophomore forward Harper Kampsaid he might have another surgery on his right knee during the offseason, but he doesn't expect the work to be major.

Kamp had arthroscopic surgery in August and never had time to fully rehab. He was forced to miss practice time throughout the season because of pain and swelling, and his mobility was limited in playing less than 20 minutes a game.

"I haven't talked about it much, because it's something I haven't wanted to talk about," Kamp said. "I'm sure that I'll talk to the doctors and trainers, and, if there's something that needs to be done, I'd like to get it done as soon as possible."

Boykin started all 33 Cal games, averaging nearly double-digit scoring and leading the team in rebounds. Seeley, a top-50 recruit who played only 186 minutes - the equivalent of 4 1/2 games - has been linked to UC Santa Barbara and UNLV.

The rumors "must be referring to someone else," Boykin said.

"I heard that too, and I even heard one sending me to the East Coast, but I'm staying here," Seeley said. "It was a struggle this year, but it'll get better."